TDDCS

Chapter 69 - If someone had to change

“What kind of place is Terra Luave?”

“It is the land where the ancestors of the Luave family first set foot. It’s a perfect place for Luave. Quiet, beautiful and cool place. Same with Terra Santella. It’s just that family-like estate. It’s fascinating.”

“Is it the biggest estate?”

“Since it’s a territory attached to the Dukedom, it’s probably true.”

“I heard that the predecessor Duke and Duchess are staying here now.”

“That’s why I was given the title early. He had to go down to take care of my mother.”

Recalling the story of the Duchess, Lena asked worriedly,

“What if the Duchess doesn’t like me?”

In the portrait hung in the mansion, she looked quite beautiful and gentle, but a long sickbed life used to make people sensitive. In addition, she couldn’t help but pay attention to her because she was the author of the Duchess’ biography.

But Kahel firmly shook his head.

“It can’t be. There’s no reason for you to be hated, but in fact Mother…… Right now, she’s not in a state where she hates anyone.”

“Yes? What does that mean?”

But Kahel did not tell her about the status of the Duchess anymore. He just stared at the dry winter scenery outside the window with calm eyes. Then he suddenly remembered that Lena had lost her mother at a very young age.

“Did you say you lost your mother when you were ten?”

“Yes. It was February of the year I turned ten.”

“It must have been very difficult.”

“Fortunately, my mother passed away as if sleeping. If she had died in pain, it would have been too hard on me, but I was lucky. Mother to me…….”

Kahel clenched his teeth tightly. What kind of life would it be for a 10-years-old child to lose her mother and think, ‘I was lucky that she died painlessly.’ Until now, he felt that he had been too indifferent to the lives of common people. Just giving the country a lot of money did not improve the lives of commoners, but he was too easy on himself to become a Duke of this country.

“Have you not resented the people in power in this country?”

Kahel asked, in a self-harming mood. He wondered if the timid Lena would be frightened and wave her hand again, but Lena was unexpectedly pondering something, and she answered cautiously,

“To be honest, I never really thought about the Queen or the two Duchies. They are too far away for us as ordinary people. Baron Fidelia was the highest authority to us, and everyone trembled at Baron’s words rather than the laws of the country. However, it was not that I resented Baron Fidelia. I never lamented the fate of my being born with less means than the Baron.”

She didn’t say a single word to blame for Kahel, but he felt pain as if a sharp needle had stabbed his own sense of justice and pride. She has to endure the tyranny of the local nobles without making a sound, so does he have the right to speak up as the guardian of Logos? What the hell was he guarding?

“I’m sorry.”

“What? Ah, I’m, I’m not blaming Your Excellency……!”

“That you didn’t even think of resenting me…… That is my fault.”

Lena bit her lip, wondering if she should have said nothing. But, to be more honest, she thought the Queen was on the wrong side rather than the Duchy. While she was in Kerouac she didn’t even know what the Dukes were doing, but when she came to Ardennes she was startled to find out that the country would not be able to move without two Duchies.